Jeanna Erickson
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Jeanna Erickson Returns to MMI Direct

Jeanna EricksonLook who’s back! We’re happy to have this familiar face return to MMI Direct. Jeanna Erickson joins our team as a List Coordinator, and she’s so excited to be working with family again. By the way, did you know she’s a disabled Navy Veteran?

When she’s not busy organizing lists for client mailings, she serves on the Daughters of the American Revolution Board, and she volunteers for a lot of nonprofits locally, too. (We knew we loved her for a reason!) See the photo of her volunteering for the Historical Society’s Murder Mystery at Kearney Mansion. How fun!

She calls Clovis, CA home (just north of Fresno if geography’s not your thing.) She absolutely loves to refinish furniture and enjoys shooting photos in her spare time.

Fun fact! She’s allergic to most fruits and vegetables, and she has 3 boys ages 15, 26, and 29. She also has an adorable cat named Kelly (pictured here.)Jeanna Erickson

We’re happy you’re back among family, Jeanna!

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Data Processing 101
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Three Key Takeaways from MMI Direct’s Direct Marketing 101 Training Sessions

The MMI Direct team is on the road and online presenting DM101 Data Processing trainings to nonprofit fundraising groups throughout the year. Here are a few highlights from these popular sessions!

Data Processing 101
  1. Understanding Data Hygiene and Merge Purge processing will help you make better business decisions about your process and your overall direct marketing program. It’s time to get empowered!
  2. Data hygiene cost-saving tactics are more critical than ever! A quality data hygiene program: 
    • Reduces your postage rates
    • Reduces printing and mailing costs
    • Improves your campaign and program performance
    • Also improves mail deliverability and gets your mail delivered faster
  3. Tailor your Merge Purge Un-duplication Strategies to the different file types in your acquisition data set and your unique program requirements.
    • Which record should be retained when duplicates are identified? Consider these criteria when assigning data set priorities: List ownership, list cost/exchange agreement, and list type: test list, retest list or continuation list
    • Customize and test your un-duplication and match criteria strategies for different list groups. A tight match allows for very few variations on a record, medium allows for moderate variations, loose allows for many variations of each data element on the record. 
    • Learn how to analyze your data hygiene and merge purge processing reports so you can identify any red flags or opportunities to improve your process.

Want to learn more? View our fun and informative on-demand trainings on YouTube:
Data Hygiene: The Basics
Acquisition Data Merge/Purge: The Basics
Extra Credit! Demystifying Acquisition Data Merge/Purge Reports

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DMAW Political Lessons Learned Online Briefing: Key Takeaways for Nonprofit Fundraisers

Our colleagues at PMG recently sponsored the DMAW Political Lessons Learned webinar—a panel discussion featuring five strategy and data experts from the political realm: digital media consultant Gayatri Bhalla, Tracy Dietz of DonorBureau, Tiffany Delgado of The Lukens Company and Chrissy Hyre of CCAH, moderated by DMAW President Heather Philpot of Tunnl. The panelists boldly (and gracefully) crossed party lines to recap the mid-term election to make all of us better direct marketers and fundraisers.

Here are some highlights from this informative session:

1) This summer’s SCOTUS decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was pivotal in altering the expected outcome of the election…and who voted. Younger voters made their turnout felt on November 8th and will continue to shape direct marketing strategies as orgs develop effective programs to reach and engage with them.

2) Spending surpassed the high-water mark set in the 2020 election cycle and OTT (Over the Top) and CTV (Connected Television) increased significantly as a percentage of overall media investments. Big thanks to Gayatri for differentiating these two! Over the Top refers to the delivery mechanism for non-cable and non-satellite content that is viewable on mobile, desktop or connected devices. CTV is a subset of OTT that is viewable on the largest home device. For example, OTT: Streaming Hulu on mobile device. CTV: Streaming Hulu (OTT media) through a stick plugged into the television.

3) Each panelist emphasized building a mobile program as a top priority. Mobile constituent/donor lists are reaching parity with email lists, and growing yours might be your single most important investment.

4) Forward-thinking organizations that invest in OTT and mobile to reach the newest generations of supporters will succeed in the years ahead. Younger voters do not read emails and they do not watch broadcast television.

5) Texting, TikTok, Streaming, Digital Video and Mobile are certainly reaching a tipping point, but Chrissy reminded us that tried and true direct response tactics are still effective, especially when organizations can enhance their audience segmentation through data sharing and targeting models based on demonstrated donor behavior.

6) Audience segmentation in political fundraising includes national donors who donate to candidates in states other than their own, individuals who donate to female candidates, or military candidates, and donors who give to lightning rod issues that may cross party lines, like we saw in this election. Interesting stuff. And Tracy emphasized that targeting the right people with the right message is crucial.

7) Whether you think “the next two years are going to be the best for fundraising” given that panic and anger are strong donation motivators OR you believe “the next two years are going to be the best for policy,” an “always on” fundraising investment in new and existing supporters via traditional and emerging channels will be critical to reach supporters where they are in 2023 and beyond.

A big thanks to the expert panelists, attendees and everyone taking the time to read our top takeaways.

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DMAW Data Strategy Forum
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13 Amazing Takeaways from the DMAW Data Strategy Forum

Recently, PMG’s Polly Papsadore and Jaime Grams joined event sponsor MMI Direct’s Charlie Rice and nearly 100 industry colleagues at the 2022 DMAW Data Strategy Forum at the National Housing Center in Washington, DC. 

DMAW Data Strategy Forum

A big thanks to all the excellent presenters who advanced attendees’ understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing omnichannel fundraisers amidst a shifting economic climate. 

Here are 13 key takeaways from the event:

  1. Your best donors keep giving even during challenging times like 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and Covid because they are bound to your mission. And donors who join during these times typically end up with very strong lifetime value. Identify them and treat them well!
  2. Beware of the flaws of averages: a rolled-up average gift metric encompassing all audience segments is not always helpful. It’s better to build your strategies around the gift amounts of meaningful groups of donors.
  3. Focus on tests that will reduce costs, especially in this current environment with increasing materials and production costs and ongoing supply chain issues. Contact us for a free postal analysis to start cutting postage costs on your next and future mailings. 
  4. Mail online-acquired donors once per quarter, mail direct-mail-acquired donors once per month.
  5. Develop long-term tests related to direct mail and digital cadence vs. being solely focused on episodic, campaign-based testing. Donors are on a continuum, not just interacting in a moment of time.
  6. A great single-question to ask donors which can reveal insights and messaging ideas for your future fundraising: What is the one sentence you would use to describe why you give to this organization?
  7. Offering new payment options signals that your organization is culturally aware, forward-thinking, and efficient. It reflects well on your brand and mission, especially with tech-savvy and younger donors.
  8. Top payment options to include in your fundraising efforts: Vanity URLs, QR codes, EFT/EBT (Electronic Funds Transfer, also called Electronic Bank Transfer), PayPal.
  9. 28% of online gifts are made via mobile and digital wallets like PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Venmo, etc. and lift mobile conversion by 14%!
  10. Matchback attribution reveals the true efficacy and value of direct mail by considering all gifts by recipients and not just directly attributed replies. Contact us to learn about MMI Direct’s best-in-class matchback analysis offerings! 
  11. Test to try: Mail modeled online-only donors at year-end.
  12. Tele Townhalls are an effective way to connect with supporters and are particularly successful when organizations have a dynamic leader to engage with attendees.
  13. Data Lakes are easier to set up than you may think! Your CRM is everything you need today to implement your programs. Your Data Lake is everything you may need. Pro-tip for Data Lake Do-It-Yourselfers: Implement a process once per month where you export data sets from all your systems and place in your data lake. You’ll have a robust data lake running in a month! This is a fascinating topic that will be explored in greater depth at future DMAW events and here on the MMI Direct blog.
DMAW Mini-Con

DMAW closed out the day by formalizing the next evolution of the Data Strategy Forum: the Multi-Channel Mini-Con scheduled for October 2023 dubbed a two-day “Supershow” combining Digital Day and Data Strategy Forum into a shared event. 

The PMG Family, including MailSmart Logistics, MMI Direct, and The Engage Group look forward to this next iteration!

Thanks to Charlie and MMI Direct, the 2022 Networking Reception Partner, for keeping the good times rolling into the 6PM hour (whoaaah!) and to all other event partners, producers, participants, and partakers! 

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Welcome Data Pro Karin Haag to the MMI Direct Team

Karin Haag

We’re excited to welcome a new data expert, Karin Haag, to the MMI Direct team as List Coordinator.

With more than 26 years of experience in the data processing industry, Karin brings with her an understanding of just how important merge/purge and data hygiene are to the success of campaigns and missions. She thrives on cleaning up files and enjoys using her superpower Excel skills to help solve problems to advance success for clients.

When she’s not converting data on her keyboard, Karin enjoys reading, baking, hiking, gardening, eating, and traveling.

She lives in Oregon with her husband and son. She and her son are on a quest to fine-tune the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. While there is some debate about crispy, chewy, cake-like, or crispy edges with a soft middle sometimes the cookie dough never even makes it to the oven. She and her son have been known to simply eat all the raw cookie dough. (Who doesn’t love raw cookie dough?) The recipe that always finds its way to the oven is the bread she makes weekly for the family. We’re guessing her house always smells good!

Late this fall she embarks on a trip to Antarctica and is currently in pursuit of the best waterproof gear and the best solution to prevent motion sickness. We wish you fair winds and following seas for your trip and your transition to our team! Happy to have you aboard.

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The PMG Family Celebrates Employee Ownership Month

October is Employee Ownership Month, and as a member of The PMG Family, we’re celebrating the company’s 100% Employee-Ownership and its benefits to our employees, our company, our clients and suppliers, and our industry.

We’re eager to promote the positive ripple effects of employee-ownership and to encourage more companies to become employee-owned.

Here’s why employee-ownership at The PMG Family and MMI Direct is so awesome:

  • Every employee has a vested interest in the performance of the company. We’re keenly aware that everything we do, every day directly impacts us all. That keeps us client-focused.
  • Our employee-owners have a deep, relentless interest in helping our clients achieve success. We pursue operational excellence and handle our clients’ needs with exceptional care and attention. We advocate for our clients every day.
  • Our employee-owners are empowered to overcome challenges and quickly adapt to the changing needs of our clients and the markets we serve. We’re constantly looking for ways to make our customer experience better.
  • PMG and all it’s family members, MMI Direct, The Engage Group, and MailSmart Logistics, serve as trusted, independent partners to our clients. We always act with our clients’ best interests in mind.
  • We deeply value our supplier-partners. We have forged strong, long-term relationships with the supplier-partners we work with, who stand behind us through thick and thin.
  • In a competitive job market, employee-ownership helps The PMG Family attract the best talent in the industry. Employee-ownership provides true equity opportunities for every team member.
  • Employee-ownership reinforces our company culture, which is built on our “spirit of good” philosophy: We offer a fun, friendly, and supportive work environment. We seek out good people to work with among staff, clients, and suppliers. We support good causes through our community outreach efforts. We encourage our employees to take initiative, make thoughtful decisions, and build trust with teammates, clients, and suppliers.

PMG is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Four years ago, we became 100% employee-owned. Employee ownership empowers our team, protects our wonderful culture, keeps us client-focused, and positions us for continued growth in the future, providing even more opportunities for success for every team member.

There are many resources available online about the benefits of employee ownership, how to get started, and why employee-owned companies are becoming the employers of choice for job seekers. We’re happy to share our experiences with you as well. Feel free to contact us to have a conversation.

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DIRECT MAIL INDUSTRY UPDATE
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Direct Mail Industry Update: Paper, Postage, Logistics and More

DIRECT MAIL INDUSTRY UPDATEThe PMG Family continues to monitor direct mail industry trends that impact our clients’ fundraising and marketing programs.

Paper

Major paper mills have announced paper cost increases of approximately 8 – 10% effective May 1, 2022, according to our key suppliers. Envelope window film, adhesives, cartons and freight costs are also increasing. Fuel surcharges from carriers are the highest our suppliers have ever seen. Another paper cost increase is expected this fall.

Paper allocations remain strict and many suppliers believe this will continue through 2023. Paper producers are eliminating certain paper grades and transitioning to packaging grades in some instances, while other mills are closing permanently. Meanwhile increased demand, increased shipping costs and ongoing staffing shortages are driving up prices.

Envelope suppliers are still operating with 12 to 15 week lead times, and offset and web printers are seeking orders for paper six weeks to three months in advance of when art files are due, depending on the type of materials and quantity.

Label Stock

The ongoing Finnish Paperworkers’ Union strike at several UPM mills in Finland, a major global supplier of label materials, continues to have a serious impact on direct marketing programs. Domestic suppliers of label stock are unable to make up for the demand and are on strict allocations. Currently the strike is expected to end April 30th but manufacturing could take up to three months to reach pre-strike levels. Our suppliers are requiring four months or more lead time on label orders. Given the dire situation, The PMG Family production teams are working with our clients to explore alternative package components and formats.

Pre-Purchasing Materials

The PMG Family provides its clients with continuous guidance on budgets, schedules and changing lead times. In certain situations, we’re able to purchase materials or components (such as envelopes) for multiple months at a time and maintain inventories to help keep printing costs down. This approach may be easier to accomplish with smaller to medium-sized print runs. Clients with larger mailings may have difficulty securing the amount of paper necessary for multiple months.

More Practical Tips

Streamline client review processes to enable earlier art and data approval times and more timely delivery.

Clear direction and insisting on regular QC steps reduce the risk of errors and delays in this high pressure environment.

Include your production partner in your annual program planning to anticipate challenges, and to find efficiencies and cost savings.

Also involve your production team in the initial strategy and creative development of each project – they can advise on the best formats, processes, and stocks – and what to avoid – given current industry trends.

Postage

On April 6th, as expected, the Postal Service filed new mailing rates effective July 10, 2022 which use the full authority granted by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC):

July 2022 Price Increases for Nonprofit Mail:

  • Marketing Mail: 6.791%
  • First Class: 6.793%
  • Flats: 8.826%

The PRC is expected to officially approve these proposed prices before they go into effect.

Save money through postal logistics to combat ongoing postage increases.

Increasing commingling volumes to achieve the lowest rates possible is one of the easiest ways to save on postage. Commingling combines your letter mail with other mailers to increase volume to the intended Zip code and delivers mail deeper into the mail stream by skipping postal facilities, achieving significant postage savings and more predictable delivery.

The PMG Family and its MailSmart Logistics team recommend a free Postal Logistics review to uncover potential costs savings in your direct mail program.

The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers (ANM) and other industry groups continue to pressure the PRC to reduce postage rates. This week the ANM filed a petition with the PRC requesting that the regulator immediately start a new review of the USPS rate system and end above-inflation postage increases. This is a longer term goal, however, with no short term relief in sight.

 Logistics and Overseas Production

Diesel fuel prices have risen above $5/gallon and with the ongoing war in Ukraine will probably remain at elevated levels for some time to come. Fuel prices effect the cost of all freight, be it ocean, rail, or trucking, and impact all steps in the supply chain, as noted above with paper costs.

The door-to-door delivery times from China to the Port of Los Angeles have dropped from an average of 40 days to an average of 30 days which is good news for organizations that use premium-based mailings.

The U.S. Trade Representative has a deadline of July 6, 2022 to review the China Section 301 Tariffs. Unless they take specific action to renew them, the tariffs will expire and will no longer be applied to China products.

With chronic paper shortages, postage increases, inflation and ongoing supply chain pressures, a strong production management partner advocating for you every day is essential to your success.

The PMG Family team continues to keep our clients’ direct marketing programs on track, despite all the challenges facing our industry.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  We’re here to help!

Additional Resources:

RKD Group GroupThinkers Supply Chain Podcast

MSL Return Mail Tracking Blog

Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers Petition to the Postal Regulatory Commission to End Above inflation Postage Rate Increases

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Three New Faces Join MMI Direct Team

We are happy to announce the addition of three new members to the data processing team at MMI Direct! We’re excited to have them join our ranks. Welcome Carole, Chris, and Hailey!

Carole Dixon

If you ask Carole Dixon how long she’s been in the Direct Marketing industry, she’ll laugh and tell you it feels like forever. She joins MMI Direct as Senior Account Manager with over 30 years of experience in the field. She’s especially excited to lead the Direct Marketing 101 courses and looks forward to mentoring people who are newly entering the industry. But her world isn’t all merge/purge: she loves hiking with her “ultimate travel partner” who also happens to be her son. They’ve been all over, from the rugged terrain of the Zion and Bryce Canyon to the scenic glaciers of Iceland and Banff! She also moonlights as a pickleball instructor and holidays at her house always involve everyone getting out and playing. Welcome, Carole!

chris eckertAsk Chris Eckert about himself and he’ll respond that he’s “just a regular dude who does data.” He has worked in direct mail for the last 22 years with “at least” 15 of those in data processing. In a past life, he was a sous chef for a catering company and specialized in making those fancy trays with cutout fruits. At home, he makes ample use of his kitchen (much to the delight of his wife and daughter) and always finds the time to throw a slab of meat on the smoker. He joins MMI Direct as a Senior Account Representative/Data Specialist and will be processing data for our clients. Welcome, Chris!

hailey gibsonA new face in the industry with a lot of energy and a passion for helping people, Hailey Gibson joins the MMI Direct data team as a Data Conversion Analyst. She can’t wait to jump into the world of data processing with a strong team and start making a real impact. Always the go-getter, she’s a big gym person who loves to work out and be adventurous! That might include hiking or off-roading with her Jeep club. Here at MMI Direct, Hailey will be converting data for our clients’ programs. Welcome to the team, Hailey!

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Direct Mail Trends for Remainder of 2021 and Beyond

Direct Mail Trends We’re Watching: Postage, Delivery Performance, Paper and More

direct-mail-trends-2021-beyond reportMMI Direct and the PMG family are monitoring several critical industry trends as we enter the fall mailing season:

Postage:

New postage rates go into effect August 29, 2021. Commingling rate increases are compounded by rising fuel costs, truck driver and transportation shortages and a persistent labor shortage. Yet increases for non-commingled mail are even higher.

Our colleagues at MailSmart Logistics highly recommend an initial Postal Logistics review to uncover any cost savings in your mailing program. Increasing commingling volumes to achieve the best rate possible is one of the easiest ways to save on postage, especially now.

A package design review may also reveal opportunities to modify the weight and thickness of your “flat” mailings and move into a less expensive letter rate package that can commingle versus more costly drop shipping. Freight costs are increasing significantly for drop shipping.

Mailers can also save 2% on postage this fall by participating in the USPS Informed Delivery Promotion effective September 1 – November 30, 2021.

Mail Delivery Performance:

In a recent USPS Industry Alert, service delivery performance data for July 1st – August 12th showed steady improvement across First-Class, Marketing and Periodical mail categories from the 3rd quarter ending June 30:

  • First-Class Mail: Delivered 88.8 % of First-Class Mail on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 1.3% from the third quarter.
  • Marketing Mail: Delivered 92.6% of Marketing Mail on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 1.6% from the third quarter.
  • Periodicals: Delivered 82.4% of Periodicals on time against the USPS service standard, an improvement of 3.1% from the third quarter.

Our supplier partners are reporting performance levels of client mail slightly below the USPS reported data, most likely due to the limited amount of mail included in the USPS measurement.

The USPS is trumpeting its service level improvements but is now officially slowing delivery of mail. On August 6, the Postal Service announced its plan to move ahead with lengthening the service standards for almost 40 percent of First Class Mail and 7 percent of Periodicals Mail beginning next month. Deteriorating service will most likely have a negative impact on mailer volumes and USPS revenue. Through pressure from Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, The Nonprofit Alliance and other industry groups, we hope this misguided decision will be reversed.

Paper & Materials:

Paper shortages, delivery delays and price increases continue. Paper allocations remain very strict through at least October. On-the-floor inventory at our suppliers is depleted. Paper producers are eliminating some paper grades and transitioning to packaging grades in some instances, while other mills are closing permanently. Meanwhile increased demand, increased shipping costs and ongoing staffing shortages are driving up prices.

Environmental-spec papers like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI) stocks are limited. Clients that require these environmental certifications on their mail pieces limit alternative paper sourcing options. Some organizations are dropping their logo requirements temporarily to allow more flexibility in substitute stocks.

Suppliers that focus on coated stocks expect another paper cost increase of 5-7% this year, with at least two increases projected for 2022. One of our leading suppliers in offset paper stocks expects price increases of 8-9% by the end of 2022.

Suppliers are also seeing rising costs for other materials, including pigments and chemicals used in ink, polybag substrate, fuel and freight. Cost increases of at least 5% are expected in 2022 across these categories of materials.

Despite shortages and cost increases, demand for printing is high. Many of our suppliers are operating at capacity. Labor shortages and the threat of Covid/Delta Variant outbreaks could further impact schedules and lead times. Last minute drop-in projects often can’t be scheduled, so long-term planning, ample lead times and sticking to art and data schedules are critical.

Overseas Production:

Though ocean freight costs continue to rise, our suppliers’ relationships with ocean freight companies allow us access to containers when others cannot get them. These relationships contribute directly to our ability to meet our clients’ mail dates.

Flexibility in budgets is helpful when scheduling is the priority. Switching to a faster yet slightly more expensive production process, for example, jet printing envelopes instead of using flexo, can help meet your mailing deadlines.

MMI Direct and the entire PMG family are constantly finding ways to keep your direct marketing programs on track despite all these challenges.

We will continue to advise you on how these trends may impact your project budgets and schedules this fall and into 2022.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. As always, we’re here to help!

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MMI Direct Good Creative Bad Data
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Don’t Let Bad Data Ruin Your Clever Creative

MMI Direct Good Creative Bad DataI recently received this mailing from my local Toyota dealership.

It uses visually interesting techniques and a fresh messaging approach along with highly personalized data. 

The outer envelope features a realistic faux handwriting font in blue ink, and a slightly askew stamp. The back flap contains a return address but no name. These techniques increase “open-ability” – the letter looks personal and there’s some mystery around the sender.  

Inside is a one page Microsoft Outlook-style email message with “URGENT: Exclusive Offer for Polly” in the subject line. The email is from the general manager of the dealership to a team member about me and my 2017 Toyota Tacoma and how the dealership should pay me top dollar for my truck, with an urgent tone.  

It’s fun reading an email about yourself that’s not addressed to you. A yellow sticky note with the realistic blue ink handwriting “Polly, Please call me!” is attached to the email print out. 

The creative nails it –  clever, fresh, a quick read with a clear call to action. 

BUT, the data is totally wrong:  

“Please contact Polly and let them know that I want to purchase their 2017 Toyota Tacoma.”  

OOF. I never owned the 2017 Toyota Tacoma. It was a leased vehicle. And I turned it in about a year ago, in June of 2020.  

Wow! Such a great creative approach, that fails miserably due to really bad data. It doesn’t even make sense for me to respond since the offer is completely irrelevant to me. 

Data hygiene and data accuracy are so critical to the success of your marketing campaigns. At MMI Direct, we focus exclusively on quality data hygiene and data processing services for our clients. We use 8 Levels of Data Hygiene tailored to your unique data set, strategy and goals.  

Get your free MMI Direct “8 Levels of Data Hygiene” Checklist. And contact us at any time with your data hygiene questions. We want you to be successful! 

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